Shrouded Sky

Chapter 327 - Ancient Godly Medicine

A streak of dazzling divine radiance illuminated the sky, shimmering like crystal-clear water.

Blackwater was the first to react, leaping upward to intercept the humanoid light. Ye Fan moved even faster, his hands slashed through the air, then pressed down forcefully. Threads of godpower shot from his fingers, sealing the cracked stone completely.

At the same time, the old Daoist nun sitting on a meditation cushion opened her eyes, beams of light shooting out as she extended a great hand into the sky. A soft popping sound echoed as the humanoid glow shattered and vanished; Blackwater lunged through empty air, catching nothing. The nun’s hand swept across the void, conjuring a glowing barrier that enveloped the Heavenly-Rank Stone Workshop, sealing it off so that no divine item could escape.

Everyone was stunned. They all realized that something extraordinary must have been cut from the stone, something priceless beyond measure.

“What on earth is it? It’s been ages since we’ve seen a phenomenon like this, Stone-Born Immortal Light!”

“It must be a supreme treasure, worth at least tens of thousands of kilo of pure source!”

“Unbelievable, it could be as valuable as Godsource itself! I can’t wait to see what it is.”

“That humanoid radiance, could it be some ancient life form inside the stone?”

The crowd murmured excitedly, necks craning to see through the light curtain that shrouded the garden.

Stone-Born Immortal was a rare omen in stone-cutting, since ancient times, its appearance had always heralded the birth of something otherworldly.

Blackwater burst into laughter as he descended from the air, relieved it wasn’t a disaster. Many had never heard of such a phenomenon before, but now they understood as the elders who first shouted its name explained it.

“This must be a world-shaking treasure, don’t let anything go wrong!”

Blackwater rubbed his hands in excitement, moving closer.

The few elderly cultivators who had been selecting stones in the Heavenly-Rank Workshop gathered near. They were the ones who first identified the sign and now stared at the sealed stone with burning eyes.

“A great omen indeed, one unseen for many years.” The Godfiend Palace’s young master, Yao Yuekong, gazed intently, eyes shining like divine lamps. The Grand Xia Prince and the white-clothed little nun also stepped closer, unable to resist the allure of such a precious find. Even the old Daoist nun herself rose silently, her gaze calm but focused. The gray-haired source master trembled in excitement, this was the dream of every stone-cutter come true.

“Cut it open! Hurry!” shouted those outside the garden, impatient to see what lay within. “Will it be safe to cut? What if the divine essence leaks or escapes?” Blackwater asked nervously. He had heard many legends, stones that held items of divine rank, comparable to Godsource.

“No problem,” said an elder, holding up a small white jade cauldron with a lid. “This can seal its aura perfectly.” The Daoist nun nodded. “Proceed. I’ve already sealed this area, nothing will escape, no matter how extraordinary.”

Ye Fan withdrew his threads of godpower. The stone stabilized, its radiance fading, lying quietly on the grass. With a careful stroke, he began to peel away the outer layer. Cold air immediately surged forth, frost spread across the grass, and the temperature plunged. “So cold!” someone gasped.

“It’s an Ice-Snow Source!” the Grand Xia Prince declared. Within the stone appeared a fist-sized piece of snow jade, shining like frozen crystal. “This Ice-Snow Source alone is worth a thousand kilo of pure source,” the master said, “but it can’t explain the earlier phenomenon. There must be something else inside.”

“Keep cutting, quickly!” the crowd urged, even more anxious than Ye Fan. As the blade worked deeper, blinding divine light once again burst forth. The air turned frigid yet fragrant, pure spiritual aura filling the surroundings. “It must be a peerless treasure!”

“Young man, sell it to me now, eight thousand kilo of source!” an elder exclaimed.

“I’ll pay nine thousand!” cried another. Ye Fan only smiled. “I’d rather see what’s inside.”

“You’re taking a big risk,” one warned. “Even with that omen, sometimes what’s inside isn’t worth much.”

“True, it’s happened before. Sometimes it’s just a fragment of a treasure. I’ll offer ten thousand kilo, that’s my entire fortune.” Ye Fan shook his head. “We’ll open it ourselves.”

“Hmph!” snorted one old man, stepping aside with displeasure.

“Old Li, don’t flaunt your authority here,” another teased. Ye Fan glanced at the angry elder, he recognized him as Li Zhongtian’s senior from the Illusion-Destruction Palace. Still, he refused to sell.

“Continue,” the Daoist nun said coolly.

Ye Fan resumed cutting. Thin layers fell away with soft clicks until the stone’s heart was revealed. Suddenly, radiant brilliance erupted, a streak of silver-white light emerged, dancing in the air. The fragrance was intoxicating, the glow dreamlike.

“Heavens, what is that? A supreme treasure indeed!” “Unbelievable luck! They actually unearthed another divine item!” Wu Ziming and his companions were furious, the very ones who had mocked Ye Fan and Blackwater earlier now found themselves utterly humiliated. “Are these bumpkins trying to make me cough blood?” Li Zhongtian muttered bitterly but couldn’t help watching.

“Brothers, let my Godfiend Palace auction this for you later!” Yao Yuekong called out. A holy silver glow circled Ye Fan, radiating purity and divinity. Within the stone core, the brilliance subsided, revealing a palm-sized Ice-Snow Source, larger than the first one, worth at least fifteen hundred kilo of pure source. But its true value lay in what it contained: something alive sealed within.

“There’s a treasure within the source!” “It’s… a godly medicine!” “No, it’s a sacred herb! Only such could cause the Stone-Born Immortal omen!” The elders crowded forward, trembling with excitement.

“Young man, sell it to me, I’ll pay you handsomely.”

“Fifteen thousand kilo! I, Li Yishui of the Illusion-Destruction Palace, will even borrow the rest if needed!” The silver light gradually dimmed, revealing what was within, a faint blue root glimmering like sapphire, encased in the ice crystal source. A pure fragrance wafted through the air.

“What is that…” someone whispered. Then came sighs of disappointment. “Too bad, it’s incomplete.” When the divine light faded, the truth was revealed. The plant was missing its upper body, it was only a root. “Such a pity, the essential part is gone,” said one elder mournfully.

“Wait, look closer! There’s something else!” another exclaimed. The crowd leaned in, and gasped. Above the root was a pair of small, foot-shaped tubers, silver-white and about an inch long. They looked almost human.

“This… could it be…”

“There are ancient records of a godly medicine that grows in the shape of the human body. Could this be one?”

“Very likely, it’s said to have vanished countless ages ago. Its exact effects are unknown, but its power must be unimaginable.”

The elders were torn between awe and regret. It was indeed a humanoid godly medicine, but incomplete, only the root and the “herbal feet” remained; the rest was lost. “A miracle! To see such a thing from the Primordial Era! Only Godsource or Ice-Snow Source could preserve it.”

The entire audience was shaken. “A godly medicine from antiquity, this is beyond belief!”

“Young man, sell it for four thousand kilo,” one elder offered.

“Why the drop in price? Weren’t you just offering fifteen thousand earlier?” Blackwater protested. The elder sighed. “Before, the brilliance blinded us, we couldn’t see clearly. Now that we know it’s incomplete, the true value is apparent. If it were whole, it’d be beyond price, worth more than Godsource. But as a remnant, just a pair of herbal feet, it’s worth about that much.”

Ye Fan replied calmly, “In this age, no godly medicines are seen. Even the Sacred Lords nearing death scour the world in vain. None return with such a thing. How can something that defies fate itself be worth so little?”

Blackwater nodded. “Exactly! Even a Godsource can’t compare to this humanoid herb!”

“I’ll pay fifty thousand kilo,” said Li Yishui, the elder from the Illusion-Destruction Palace. Ye Fan still refused and sealed the Ice-Snow Source inside the jade cauldron to preserve its aura.

The elder’s expression darkened. “Don’t be greedy, boy. It’s incomplete, its worth isn’t that great.”

“Elder,” Ye Fan said mildly, “I cut this stone myself. Whether I sell it or not has nothing to do with greed, don’t you think?”

At that moment, Yao Yuekong of the Godfiend Palace called out, “Brothers, could you ask the senior if I may enter?” Blackwater and Ye Fan agreed. After a word with the Daoist nun, Yao Yuekong strode in, purple robes flowing.

“I’ll offer sixty thousand,” Li Yishui tried again.

Ye Fan suddenly said, “Everyone, you’ve overlooked something, the roots are intact. It might be possible to regrow the plant.”

“I’ll pay eighty thousand kilo!” declared the Grand Xia Prince. The white-clad nun beside him blinked with bright eyes full of hope.

“The Absolute Dao Sacred Ground will purchase it for one hundred thousand kilo,” the Daoist nun suddenly announced.

Ye Fan smiled faintly. “Actually, I’d like to plant it somewhere and see what kind of godly medicine it might become.”

And so, word of the Godly Medicine cut within Absolute Dao’s Stone Workshop spread like wildfire. Exquisite Desire Temple and every Desolate Clan and Sacred Ground in the Celestial City soon learned that Absolute Dao Sacred Ground had unearthed a true sacred relic.